I struggled to setup YAF using Azure SQL. The only resource I could find was a blog post titled “Yet Another Forum (YAF) for Windows Azure” (http://www.blasoft.pl/blog/?p=496&lang=en), but the post only hinted at how to take a current release and use Azure SQL.

The solution ended up being straight forward. The general steps are:

1. Create an Azure SQL database to use to store membership2. Run Azure specific membership scripts to setup database (http://lluisfranco.com/2011/05/18/using-asp-net-membership-in-sql-azure/ )2. Create an Azure SQL database to store YAF3. Create a local database in SQL Express 2008 R2 to store YAF5. Modify db.config and change the “yafnet“ connection string to the local YAF database6. In db.config add another connection string called “yafnetmembership” for the Azure membership database7. Modify web.config to use the Azure membership database. This includes setting the membership, role, and profile default providers and setting those providers to use the "yafnetmembership” connection string.8. Run YAF locally (I used Visual Studio) and go through the installation wizard (do not check the use “full text” index on the database step)9. Shutdown the local YAF10. Modify db.config and change the “yafnet“ connection string to the Azure YAF database11. Use the SQL Azure Migration Wizard (http://sqlazuremw.codeplex.com/) to copy the local YAF database to Azure.

Note: You will need to make sure you open the Azure SQL firewall.

This approach was much more successful than trying to manually modify the sql install scripts.